The name of the island marked on the map. Location: South Pacific. Maldives Location: Indian Ocean Country: Republic of Maldives


There are certain islands that were "discovered" and added to maps, but which were subsequently never found. However, their discoverers often claimed to have seen these islands, and some even said that they had set foot on their shores. Expeditions sent to the supposed locations of these islands often ended in nothing. And today we can only guess: was there an island?

1. Sandy Island


between Australia and New Caledonia
In 2012, it was discovered that Sandy Island does not exist. Previously, he appeared on several maps, including Google Earth, where it was located between Australia and New Caledonia (ruled by France) in the Pacific Ocean. The island was first recorded by the British whaling ship Velocity in 1876, and first appeared on a British map in 1908. Several expeditions failed to find the island and it was removed from a number of maps in the 1970s. However, it remained on other cards. It is curious that the island did not appear at all on French maps, which means that the French either knew that he did not exist or were not aware of his supposed existence.

If the island really existed, it would belong to France, since it was in French waters. The absence of the island was proven by scientists from the University of Sydney, who decided to check its existence after realizing that their maps at the supposed location of the island showed the ocean depth to be 1,400 meters. It is believed that the crew of Velocity saw pumice, which they mistook for an island. "Pumice rafts" are floating rocks formed volcanic activity. They are known to occur periodically in the area where Sandy Island is believed to have been located.

2. St. Brendan's Island


south of the Azores
If ancient maps were correct, St Brendan's Island (or St Brendan's Land) should have been located to the west of Canary Islands and south of the Azores in the North Atlantic. The island is named after Saint Brendan, the Irish monk who claimed to have found it in 512 AD. St. Brendan didn't just find the island. He, along with 14 monks, landed on it and even lived there for two weeks. A monk named Barino described this island, saying that it abounded in mountains, forests, birds and flowers. Other expeditions tried to find the island to no avail, and by the 13th century it became obvious that it did not exist.

Marcus Martinez, a Spanish historian, even called it "the lost island discovered by Saint Brendan, which no one has been able to find since." However, another sailor claimed to have found it in the 1400s but was unable to go ashore due to a storm. This created a new surge of interest in the island, and the king of Portugal sent several ships, but they did not return. St Brendan's Island continued to appear on maps and ships continued to search for it until the 18th century, when everyone finally agreed that the island did not exist. Some scientists suggest that St. Brendan's Island actually existed. However, it was sunk and now lies below the surface of the ocean.

3. Hy-Brazil


northwest of Ireland
Hy Brasil is a non-existent island that was said to be 320 kilometers away. west coast Ireland. On some maps it was even represented as two islands, although they had the same name. Hy-Brasil first appeared on maps in 1325 and remained on maps until the 1800s, when its supposed existence was declared a hoax. There are many myths associated with this island. The Europeans believed that it was home to an advanced civilization, while the Irish said that Hy-Brasil was always hidden in an impenetrable fog and was visible only once every seven years.

The name, shape and location of the island changed frequently on maps, although it always remained in the same region. England sent three expeditions between 1480 and 1481, but none found the island. However, in 1497, a Spanish diplomat stated that one of the English expeditions had discovered Hy-Brasil. In 1674, a Scottish sea captain named John Nisbet claimed to have spotted the island as he sailed from France to Ireland. He claimed that four of his men went ashore and stayed on the island the whole day.

The veracity of Nisbet's testimony remains in question, since he also claimed that there lived an old man on the island who gave gold and silver to the sailors, as well as a wizard who lived in the castle. Captain Alexander Johnson set out on the next expedition, and on his return claimed to have landed on the island, although he made no mention of any old man with the gold. In 1872, Robert O'Flaherty and T. J. Westrop also claimed to have seen Hy-Brazil. Westropp even claimed that he visited it three times, including once seeing the island appear and disappear.

4. Friesland


south of Greenland
In 1558, Nicolo Zeno of Venice claimed that two of his ancestors, Antonio and Nicolo, discovered the island of Friesland in the 1380s. Zeno claimed that the island was located south of Iceland, west of Norway and east of Estethiland. Scholars suggest that Estotiland was either Newfoundland or Labrador in North America. If this is true, then this means that Zeno's ancestors arrived in America before Columbus. It is believed that Zeno faked Friesland's existence because he wanted to be popular. And the Venetians supported his lodges because they wanted their fleet to be worthy competitor against the backdrop of the powerful fleets of Spain, France and England.

Friesland appeared on several maps until it was declared a fraud in the 19th century, despite the fact that some sailors had previously claimed to have seen it. In 1576, the Englishman Martin Frobisher mistook Greenland for Friesland, and John Dee even claimed the island for England in 1580. Then, in 1989, philologist Giorgio Padoan (who studies historical works) argued that Zeno was telling the truth and that the Italians reached the New World before Columbus.

5. Buss


between Ireland and Friesland
Buss is a defunct island that was supposedly located between Ireland and the defunct Friesland. It was discovered by Martin Frobisher, who, as mentioned above, mistook Greenland for Friesland. In 1578 he probably mistook another island for an undiscovered island, which he named Buss. Captain Thomas Shepard claimed to have visited and charted Buss Island in 1671, leading England to send an expedition to the "new land".

The British were unable to find the legendary island, so several more expeditions were sent, all of which were failures. In 1776, it was reported that a sandbar had been found at the supposed location of Buss Island, leading some to believe that the island had simply been flooded. It was even renamed the Submerged Buss Island. However, the expedition of John Ross in 1818 showed that there was no sandbank at the supposed location of the island. However, Busse continued to appear on maps until the 19th century.

6. Crocker Land


northwest of Cape Hubbard (Northern Canada)
Like Friesland, Crocker Land is another island that was completely made up. This time Robert Peary tried to raise funds for an expedition to the Arctic. In 1907, Peary stated that during an earlier expedition in 1906 he had discovered new island near Greenland, 209 kilometers northwest of Cape Thomas Hubbard (Northern Canada). He named the island Crocker Land after George Crocker, who co-founded the 1906 expedition, financed Peary with $50,000. Peary wanted to get another $50,000 from Crocker, so he came up with a fake island. He even wrote a book called “The Nearest Pole,” in which he talked about his fictitious island.

Everyone believed him, and several explorers even began searching for Crocker Land. But the island remained elusive, leading some to call it the "Lost Atlantis of the North." However, Crocker Land appeared on Arctic maps created between 1910 and 1913. This new land, which some scientists even called a continent, aroused widespread interest, especially in the United States, until it was recognized as a Peary falsification.

7. Dougherty


south of New Zealand
Some people call it Dougherty Island, but that doesn't matter because it doesn't exist. Dougherty Island was named after Captain Daniel Dougherty, who "discovered" it far south in the Pacific Ocean during a voyage from New Zealand to Canada in 1841. Several other sailors also confirmed its existence, but Captain Scott was unable to find the island when he sailed past its supposed location in 1904.

On 11 August 1931, the Sydney Morning Herald of Australia reported that a joint British, Australian and New Zealand expedition to Antarctica passed right by the supposed location of Dougherty Island and failed to find it. The weather was clear, and no islands were observed within a radius of 19 kilometers. Dougherty Island was eventually removed from British maps in 1937.

8. Emerald


south of Macquarie Island (near Antarctica)
In 1821, Captain Norkells discovered an island south of Macquarie Island and near Antarctica. He named it after his ship, the Emerald. It seemed as if the Emerald Isle itself determined who should see it and who should not, since it supposedly appeared and disappeared at its discretion. Some expeditions claimed to have seen the island, while others reported being unable to find it. Some even claimed that the island is moving, so people can't find it in its supposed location. Others said that the island actually existed, but sank to the bottom of the ocean due to seismic activity.

There were also disagreements regarding the appearance of the island among those who allegedly saw it. Some said Emerald was mountainous with steep cliffs, while others said it was hilly with green forests. In 1890, one captain even said that it was small and so rocky that there was no suitable place where you can land. In 1840, two ships under the command of Commodore Wilkes of the United States sailed over the supposed location of Emerald Island and found nothing. This was the end of the search for Captain Soule in 1877, as well as for Shackleton and Amundsen in 1909 and 1910.

However, two interesting incidents occurred in the area of ​​the island's supposed location in 1894 and 1949. In 1894, a Norwegian expedition to the South Pole spotted what scientists believed to be an island. However, it turned out to be an iceberg. The Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Pukaki also discovered the island in April 1949. As they got closer, the crew discovered that the supposed island was actually a group of clouds that had descended onto the water.

9. "Island of Demons"


northeast of Newfoundland
In 1542, Jean-François de Roberval, lieutenant general New France(now Canada) sailed on three ships from France to New France. He landed his cousin Marguerite de la Roque, her sailor lover and her maid on the "Isle of Demons", believed to be Quirpon Island in modern Newfoundland. Legend said that the island was inhabited by demons and wild animals that attacked anyone who dared to set foot on its shores. Why Roberval dropped off his cousin remains unknown.

Some say he did this because Margarita became pregnant by her lover, while others claim he wanted to take over her fortune. Soon the maid and lover Rokk died on the island, but the girl survived and even gave birth to a child. The child then died, leaving her alone on the island until she was rescued by fishermen in 1544. The authenticity of this story remains in question, as the "Island of Demons" was removed from maps in the mid-17th century because it was never found again.

10. Saxemberg


near the Tristan da Cunha archipelago (South Atlantic)
Saxemberg Island was discovered by John Lindes Lindeman in 1670. According to Lindemann, the island, supposedly located in South Atlantic, was flat with a mountain in its center. Several subsequent expeditions did not find the island, although, for example, the Australian captain Matthew Flinders searched for it very carefully in 1801. In 1804, Captain Galloway claimed to have sighted the island and even its central mountain. Captain Gowar confirmed his claims in 1816. Other sailors also began to claim that they had seen the island, and some even said that they had landed on it.

Major General Alexander Beatson even spoke in detail about the flora of the island in 1816. Moreover, he developed his theory by arguing that the island of Saxemberg, along with the islands of Ascension and Gough (which do exist) once formed a single ancient continent. The island of Saxemberg itself continued to appear on maps until it finally disappeared from them in the 19th century.

Maps are not only useful for travelers. They also give inspiration for creativity. It's worth seeing to understand that this is really the case.

Based on materials from listverse.com

There are islands that were “discovered” and added to maps before it was discovered that they did not exist. However, the discoverers of such islands often claim to have seen them, and some even claim to have landed on them. But expeditions that went to the supposed islands often discovered the serene expanse of the ocean and nothing more, although there were those who claimed to have also seen the islands.

We have identified ten such islands. This list does not include islands that were added to the maps specifically for the purpose of misleading. Each of these islands was reported as having actually been seen, although some of them turned out to be fictitious. However, they all appeared on the maps.

10. Sandy Island

They learned that Sandy Island does not exist only in 2012. It had previously appeared on several maps, including Google Earth, where it was located between Australia and French-ruled New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean. The island's existence was first recorded by the British whaling ship Velocity in 1876, and in 1908 it appeared on a British map.

Several expeditions failed to locate the island, and it was removed from some maps in the 1970s. However, it remained on other cards. Oddly enough, the island is not on French maps, which means that the French either knew that it did not exist or were not aware of its supposed existence. If the island really existed, it would belong to France, since it was in French waters.

The fact that the island does not exist was proven by scientists from the University of Sydney, who decided to visually verify its existence after their graphs showed that the estimated location of the island should be at a depth of 1400 meters. It is believed that the crew of Velocity saw a pumice raft, which they mistook for an island.

Pumice rafts are floating rocks formed as a result of volcanic activity. They are known to swim in the areas where Sandy Island would have been located.

9. Saint Brendan's Island


Photo: Guillaume Delisle

If ancient maps were correct, St Brendan's Island should have been located in the North Atlantic, west of the Canary Islands and south of the Azores. The island is named after Saint Brendan, an Irish monk who claimed to have discovered it in 512. St. Brendan didn't just find the island. He and 14 monks landed on it and even lived there for two weeks.

A monk named Barino even described the island, saying that it was covered with mountains, forests, birds and flowers. Other expeditions searched for the island, but to no avail, and by the 13th century it became obvious that it did not exist. Marcus Martinez, a Spanish historian, even described it as " lost island, discovered by Saint Brendan, but since then not discovered by anyone else.”

However, another sailor claimed to have found the island in the 1400s but was unable to land due to bad weather. This renewed interest in the island, and the King of Portugal sent several ships to the island, which never returned. St Brendan's Island continued to appear on maps and ships continued to search for it until the 18th century, when everyone finally came to the conclusion that it did not exist.

According to the Journal of the Bizarre website, St. Brendan's Island actually existed. However, he plunged into the water and is now under the ocean. There may be a kernel of truth in this, as a seamount called the Great Meteor Seamount lies under the water exactly where the island should have been.

8. Hy-Brasil


Photo: Ocultoreveladoaverdade

High Brazil is a defunct island rumored to be located approximately 320 kilometers off the west coast of Ireland. On some maps it was even depicted as two islands, although they had the same name. The island first appeared on maps in 1325 and was marked on them until the 1800s, when it was declared a hoax. There are also some myths associated with it.

Europeans believed that it was home to an advanced civilization, while the Irish said that the island was shrouded in thick fog and could only be seen once every seven. The name, shape and location of the island on maps often changed, although it remained in the same place. Between 1480 and 1481, England sent three expeditions to the island, but no one ever found it. However, in 1497, a Spanish diplomat announced that one of the English expeditions had found Hy-Brasil.

In 1674, a Scottish sea captain named John Nisbet claimed to have spotted the island while sailing from France to Ireland. He claimed that four of his crew landed on the island and remained there the whole day. The veracity of Nisbet's statements remains in question, since he further said that on the island there lived an old man who gave them gold and silver, and a magician who lived in the castle.

The next expedition was made by Captain Alexander Johnson, who also claimed to have landed on the island, although he did not mention whether the old man gave him the gold. In 1872, Robert O'Flaherty and T.J. Westropp also claimed to have seen Hy-Brazil with their own eyes. Westropp even said that he visited it three times, including once when he He took his family with him. He claimed that they saw the island appear and disappear.

7. Frisland


Photo: Nicolo Zeno

In 1558, Nicolo Zeno of Venice claimed that two of his ancestors, Antonio and Nicolo, discovered an island called Friesland in the 1380s. Zeno argued that the island was south of Iceland, Norway was located to the east of it, and Estotiland to the west. Estotiland itself was either Newfoundland or Labrador in North America. If this was so, this means that Zeno's ancestors reached America before Columbus.

It is believed that Zeno invented the island of Friesland because he wanted to be famous. And the Venetians fell for his lies because they wanted their navy to remain relevant because it had been eclipsed by the naval forces of Spain, France and England.

Friesland managed to appear on several maps before it was declared a hoax in the 19th century, but not before several sailors claimed to have seen it. In 1576, the Englishman Martin Frobisher mistook Greenland for Friesland, and John Dee even called it England in 1580. Then, in 1989, Giorgio Padoan, a philologist (study of historical works), argued that Zeno was telling the truth and that Italians had reached the New World before Columbus.

6. Buss Island


Photo: John Seller

Buss Island is a defunct island that was supposedly located between Ireland and the defunct Friesland. It was discovered by Martin Frobisher, who, as we have already mentioned, mistook Greenland for Friesland. In 1578 he probably mistook another island for one that had not yet been discovered, and named it Buss Island.

Captain Thomas Shepard claimed to have landed on Buss Island in 1671 and mapped it, prompting England to send an expedition there. The expedition was unable to find the island. In order to find the legendary Buss Island, many expeditions were equipped, but none of them managed to find it, while at the same time, ships that were not looking for the island always claimed to have found it.

In 1776, Buss Island's supposed location was reported to be shallow, leading some to believe it had sunk. It was even renamed the Sunken Land of Buss. However, the expedition of John Ross in 1818 showed that where the island was supposed to be located was deep. Buss Island continued to appear on maps until it was removed from them in the 19th century.

5. Crocker Land


Photo: Scout

Like Friesland, Crocker Land is another island invented from start to finish. This time the author of the hoax was Robert Peary, who was trying to raise funds for an expedition to the Arctic. In 1907, Peary claimed that during his earlier expedition in 1906 he had discovered a new island off Greenland, which was located in Northern Canada 209 kilometers northwest of Cape Thomas Hubbard.

He named the island Crocker Land in honor of George Crocker, one of the sponsors of his 1906 expedition, who provided $50,000 for it. Peary wanted another $50,000 from Crocker, which is why the fake island was needed. Peary even wrote a book called Nearest to the Pole, in which he talked about his imaginary island. Everyone believed him, and several explorers even began to search for the island.

Crocker's land remained elusive, leading some to call it "the lost Atlantis of the North." However, the island appeared on Arctic maps created between 1910 and 1913. This new land, even called a continent in some circles, attracted widespread interest, especially in the United States, until the island was exposed as Peary's fantasy.

4. Dougherty Island


Photo: Wikimedia

Some people call it Doheti Island, but that doesn't matter because it doesn't exist. Dougherty Island was named after Captain Daniel Dougherty, who "discovered" it far south in the Pacific Ocean during his voyage from New Zealand to Canada in 1841. Several other sailors also confirmed the island's existence, but one Captain Scott was unable to find it when he passed the island's supposed location in 1904.

On 11 August 1931, The Sydney Morning Herald of Australia reported that a joint British, Australian and New Zealand expedition to Antarctica had passed the suspected location of Dougherty Island and failed to find it.

The details of the incident were noted by the ship's commander, Captain Mackenzie, who stated that the ship passed directly over the place where the island was said to be located. The weather was clear, but no island was visible within a radius of 19 kilometers, so he could not be located anywhere else. Dougherty Island was removed from British maps in 1937.

3. Emerald Island


Photo: August Heinrich Petermann, Hermann Habenicht

In 1821, south of Macquarie Island and near Antarctica, Captain Nockells spotted an island. He named it after his ship Emerald (Emerald). It appears that Emerald Island chose who to show itself to and who not to, as it supposedly appeared and disappeared at will. Some expeditions claimed to have seen it, while others reported that they were unable to find it. Some even claimed that the island was changing location so it could not be seen in its intended location. Others said that the island really existed, but went under water as a result of seismic activity.

Those who claim to have seen the island cannot decide what it looks like. Some say its surface is mountainous, with steep cliffs, while others claim it is hilly and covered with green forests. In 1890, one captain noted that the island was small and rocky, and there was no suitable place to land.

In 1840, two American ships under the command of Commodore Wilks passed over the supposed location of Emerald Island and found nothing. Captain Soule also passed over the supposed site of the island in 1877 and also found nothing. Shackleton and Amundsen sailed past where the island should have been in 1909 and 1910 and also found nothing.

However, in 1894 and 1949, two interesting incidents occurred near the island's stated location. In 1894, a Norwegian expedition heading to the South Pole spotted what they thought was an island. However, it turned out to be an iceberg. A Royal New Zealand Navy patrol from HMNZS Pukaki also sighted the island in April 1949. As they approached, the crew discovered that the supposed island was in fact a group of clouds that appeared to lie on the water.

2. Island of Demons


Photo: Taringa.net

In 1542, Jean-Francois de Roberval, lieutenant general of New France (now Canada), left the shores of France to sail to New France in three ships. With him was his cousin, Marguerite de la Rocque, whom he, along with her lover and maid, landed on Demon Island, which was presumably Quirpon Island in modern Newfoundland. Legend has it that Demon Island was full of demons and beasts that would attack anyone who dared to set foot on it.

Why Roberval dropped off his cousin there remains unknown. Some say he hated her for her relationship with her lover, while others say he wanted to take over her property. One entry also says that Roberval actually dropped off Rock's lover, and she decided to join him, although in the arc version it was Rock that was dropped off, and the lover decided to stay with her. Nowhere does it say that the maid joined them of her own free will.

Rock's maid and lover died on the island, but Rock herself survived and even gave birth to a child. The child later died and she remained alone on the island until fishermen rescued her in 1544. How true this story is remains in question, as Demon Island was removed from maps in the mid-17th century when it was concluded that it did not exist.

1. Saxemberg Island

Saxemberg Island was discovered by John Lindesz Lindeman in 1670. According to Lindeman, the island, which is supposedly located in the South Atlantic, is flat and has a mountain in its center. Several expeditions that followed this discovery claimed to have seen the island, although Australian navigator Matthew Flinders searched extensively for it in 1801 and found nothing.

In 1804, Captain Galloway claimed to have spotted the island and even seen a mountain in the center. In 1816, Captain Head confirmed these words. Other sailors also reported seeing the island, and some even claimed to have landed on it.

A certain Major General Alexander Beatson even made a detailed report on the flora of the island in 1816. He developed his theory by arguing that the island of Saxemberg, along with the islands of Ascension, Tristan da Cunha and Gough (which all exist in reality) were formed from the same continent. The island of Saxemberg itself continued to appear on maps until it was declared defunct in the 19th century.

Sandy Island is in all atlases. It is also sometimes called Ile de Sable or “ED” (Existence Doubtful, translated as “Existence is doubtful”). It appears on old whaling maps from the 19th century, the US Defense Mapping Agency 1982, the British Admiralty, National Geographic and in many databases of universities and research institutions around the world. It is even clearly visible on Google Earth - it is a long narrow island stretching about 24 kilometers from north to south.

Except it doesn't exist.

A team of scientists from the University of Western Australia studied the movement of tectonic plates and the topography of the ocean floor. They went to where Sandy Island was supposed to be... only it wasn't there. What the hell, cartographers?

Sandy Island first appeared in the atlases of a whaling expedition in 1876. It was noted by the crew of the Velocity and placed on the official British Admiralty charts of 1908. According to some sources, the crews of other ships said that there was no island there, but still it remained in the archives. The French removed it from maps in 1974. However, the United States continued to mark it on its defense diagrams until at least 1982. Researchers believe that those maps where the island still exists were based on incorrect data and outdated reports.

Today there is no doubt that this island does not exist. Many people have been there and sailed through exact coordinates the place where he should have been. There are several sources that allegedly reveal the secret of the island, but not all of them coincide.

According to some, the island was just a piece of pumice. Pumice is formed in areas of the ocean where there is a lot of volcanic activity. When lava cools quickly, the gas that enters makes it into incredibly buoyant “rafts.” Area y east coast Australia, where the island is supposedly located, is a volcanic hotspot, so it is possible that the Velocity crew actually saw a giant floating rock. In our time, there is evidence of this phenomenon - in 2012, a floating piece of pumice measuring 22,000 sq km was discovered.

Others say the new island maps are simply based on data from earlier maps that are incomplete and incorrect. Although it is even in atlases created using Google Earth satellite technology, and this is more than strange. Of course, the resource has now deleted photographs taken with close range, on which his location was marked. Although underwater objects can greatly distort even today's satellite images, this seems like a frightening coincidence.

Another theory claims that the original maps and notes from Velocity were misinterpreted. The sailors did not mark this place as real island, but as dangerous place with high waves and shallows.

Some researchers suggest that the island was placed on old maps as a kind of copyright trap to expose those who tried to plagiarize. Although others argue that playing with such things poses a potential danger to sailors, so this is highly unlikely.

The opinions of researchers and scientists who supposedly “solved” the mystery do not seem to coincide with each other. And for some reason it seems to us that this is how it should be.

Do you know how many times the largest island in Russia is smaller than the big island peace? Read the post and find out.

No. 10. Ellesmere (Canada) - 196,236 km2

Ellesmere is the most northern island Canada is one of the ten largest islands by area in the world. Due to the harsh climate, the island's population is about 150 people.

The remains of prehistoric animals have been repeatedly found on the territory of Ellesmere. The first settlers were nomads from Siberia. In 1250, the Thule people, the ancestors of the Eskimos, settled in the territory. But by the middle of the 18th century the island became deserted.

The island was discovered in 1616 by the English navigator William Baffin.



No. 9. Victoria (Canada) - 217,291 km2

In ninth place by area is Victoria Island (Canada). The island was discovered in 1838 during the expedition of British explorer Thomas Simpson.

In the 50s of the 20th century, there were several settlements on the island where meteorologists lived. By the end of the 20th century, the population increased due to Eskimo settlers who took up fishing activities here.



No. 8. Honshu (Japan) - 227,970 km2

Honshu is largest island Japanese archipelago and ranks 8th in the ranking of the largest islands in the world. The largest Japanese cities are located on the island of Honshu: Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc.

The island is covered with many volcanoes, some of them active. The population of the island is more than 103 million people.



No. 7. Great Britain (UK) - 229,848 km2

Great Britain ranks 7th on the list of the largest islands in the world and is the most big island among the British Isles and in Europe as a whole.

The history of Great Britain begins with the Roman conquest in 43 BC, but the island also had an earlier history.

Great Britain was inhabited by the Noto people several hundred thousand years ago. Modern man has arrived British Isles before the start of the last ice age, but retreated in Southern Europe due to the glaciers covering the island. According to archaeological finds, after 12,000 BC e. The British Isles were repopulated. Around 4,000 BC e. the island was inhabited by people of the Neolithic culture.

Today the population of the island of Great Britain is more than 61 million people, making it the most densely populated area in Europe.



No. 6. Sumatra (Indonesia) - 443,066 km2

Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world. It is located in two hemispheres at once, since the Equator passes almost through the middle of the island. The island belongs to Indonesia and is part of the Malay Archipelago. It is located in an area of ​​frequent earthquakes and tsunamis.

Today the population of the island of Sumatra is more than 50 million people. The main cities of Sumatra: Medan, Palembang, Padang. People of many nationalities live in Sumatra, about 90% profess Islam.

About 73 thousand years ago, the Toba volcano exploded on the island of Sumatra. This event resulted in 1,800 years of ice age and a reduction in the human population to 2,000 people.

The name of the island comes from the Sanskrit word samudra - “ocean” or “sea”.



No. 5. Baffin Island (Canada) - 507,451 km2

Baffin Island is the first largest island in Canada and the fifth largest in the world. Due to the harsh climatic conditions of the island, the population is about 11 thousand people. Largest locality islands - Iqaluit.

The first description of the island was made by William Baffin in 1616, and the island was named after him.



No. 4. Madagascar (Madagascar) - 587,713 km2

The fourth place in the ranking is occupied by the island of Madagascar. Is located in Indian Ocean at eastern shore Africa. The island is home to the state of Madagascar (the capital is Antananarivo). Today the population of the island of Madagascar is more than 24 million people.

Locals call Madagascar the red island because of the color of the soil. More than half of the animals found in Madagascar cannot be found on the mainland, and 90% of the plants are endemic.



No. 3. Kalimantan (Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei) - 748,168 km2

Kalimantan or Borneo is the third largest island in the world. It is divided between 3 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The island is located in the center of the Malay Archipelago.
Kalimantan means diamond river in the local language. It is named so due to its rich resources, in particular a large number of diamonds.

The first people settled Kalimantan about 40 thousand years ago. Today the population of the island is about 20 million people. More than 300 ethnic groups live on the island.


№2. New Guinea(Indonesia, Papua New Guinea) - 785,753 km2

There are still places in New Guinea where no man has ever been. This place attracts flora and fauna researchers, as they can find rare species of animals and plants here. More than 11 thousand species of plants, 600 unique species of birds, over 400 species of amphibians, 455 species of butterflies and about a hundred known species of mammals live here.

New Guinea has been inhabited by humans since at least 45 thousand years BC. e. from Asia. More than a thousand Papuan-Melanesian tribes descended from the first settlers. The absence of large animals suitable for domestication on the island hampered the development of agriculture and made cattle breeding impossible. This contributed to the preservation of the primitive communal system in large areas of New Guinea until the present day. The mountainous landscape contributed to the isolation of people from each other, as a result of which a huge variety of languages ​​appeared on the island.

The discoverer of New Guinea was the Portuguese Don Jorge de Menezes, who landed on the island in 1526. According to legend, he gave the island the name “Papua”, which translates as curly, due to the curly hair of the local aborigines.

Today the population of the island of New Guinea is more than 9.5 million people.
In the territory of New Guinea there is an ancient agricultural settlement of Kuka, showing an isolated development Agriculture for 7-10 thousand years and included in the List World Heritage UNESCO.



No. 1. Greenland (Denmark) - 2,130,800 km2

The largest island in the world is Greenland. The Green Country, as this island is also called, belongs to Denmark. Due to glacial cover (84% of the surface) and unfavorable climatic conditions Most of the island is uninhabited. Today the population of Greenland is more than 57 thousand people. The largest settlement on the island is Nuuk (Gothob).

Several thousand years before the arrival of Europeans, the island was inhabited by Greenlandic Eskimos, who call themselves Inuit. The Inuit have adapted to the extreme conditions of the Arctic climate and feel quite comfortable. From time immemorial they have been engaged in fishing and hunting.

The first European to enter the island was the Norman Gunbjorn in 875. In 982, Erik Raudi settled on the island with several comrades, expelled from Iceland for the crimes he had committed. Later they were joined by Norwegian Vikings. In 983, the first Norman colony was founded in Greenland.

After the settlement of Greenland by Europeans, the island was repeatedly passed from hand to hand. Until 1536, the island belonged to Norway, then it became part of Denmark, in accordance with the union between Denmark and Norway. In 1721, a Danish colony called Gotthob was officially established on the island. In 1814, after the dissolution of the union between Norway and Denmark, Greenland became the complete possession of Denmark.

The main activity of the Greenland population is fishing. But at the end of the 20th century, reindeer and sheep breeding and oil production appeared. Tourism and air transport play a big role. More than 20 thousand tourists visit Greenland every year.



The largest island in Russia (Sakhalin) is 27 times smaller than the largest island in the world (Greenland).

The largest islands of Russia:
Sakhalin - 76600 km2
Northern - 48904 km2
Yuzhny - 33275 km2
Boiler house - 23200 km2
October Revolution - 13708 km2

Ostrov city on the map of Russia. Map of the Island with streets and house numbers. Satellite map of the Island with city attractions. Explore detailed maps from the satellite services "Yandex Maps" and "Google Maps" online. Find the desired address, street or house on the map of the city of Ostrov. Zoom in or out on the map using mouse scroll or touchpad gestures. Switch between schematic and satellite map Islands. You might be interested in detailed satellite information.

Satellite map of Ostrov

Switching between the satellite map of the city of Ostrov and the schematic one is done in the lower left corner of the interactive map.

City Island - Wikipedia

Population of the city of Ostrov: 20,568 people
Founding date of the city of Ostrov: 1341.
Ostrov telephone code:+7 81152
Ostrov city code: 60
Ostrov postal code: 181350

Island(founded in 1341) - city, center of the Ostrovsky district of the Pskov region Russian Federation(North-Western District). Island located in the west of the East European Plain in the Pskov-Chud depression, in the western part of the Pskov region, on the Velikaya River (basin of Lake Pskov), 55 km south from the regional center - the city of Pskov and 80 km from the border with Latvia.

Transport connection: knot highways- highway P-23 Nevel-Pskov-St. Petersburg, A-119 Ostrov-Porokhov, highway Ostrov-Rezekne (Latvia), there is a bus station; by rail - railway station on the Pskov–Pytalovo line. 5 km in the southeast there is a military airfield in the village. Veretye.

The settlement was formed on the site of a fortress, which in the XIV-XVI centuries. was one of the border outposts on the Pskov land, and was repeatedly ravaged by Livonian and Polish troops. In 1582 the city was returned to Russia according to the Peace of Yam-Zapolsky. At the beginning of the 18th century, after the end of the Northern War, Island loses its defensive significance and in 1719 becomes a district town of the Pskov province, crafts and trade develop.

Currently in Island 20.5 thousand people live. (2010) is a beautiful and cozy town with many historical and architectural monuments. Economic potential: enterprises of the agricultural complex, electrical, electronic and food industries, abrasive plant, clothing factory.

Sights of the Island: local history museum(1965), remains of a fortress (XV century), chain bridge on the river. Great (1853), St. Nicholas Church (1542), Trinity Cathedral (1790), Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (1542), Cathedral of the Life-Giving Trinity (1787) and many others.

 

It might be useful to read: